Qwen3 1.7B (Non-reasoning) offers a compelling blend of speed and above-average intelligence for its size, though its pricing structure demands careful consideration for cost-sensitive applications.
The Qwen3 1.7B (Non-reasoning) model, developed by Alibaba, positions itself as a compact yet powerful contender in the realm of language models. Designed for efficiency and speed, this variant excels in tasks that do not require complex multi-step reasoning, making it a strong candidate for applications demanding rapid, factual, or creative text generation. Its relatively small parameter count of 1.7 billion belies its performance, often outperforming models in its class in terms of raw speed and demonstrating a notable level of intelligence for its size.
Benchmarked on Alibaba Cloud, Qwen3 1.7B showcases impressive operational metrics. It achieves a median output speed of 114 tokens per second, significantly faster than the average for comparable models, ensuring quick response times for user-facing applications. Its latency, or time to first token (TTFT), stands at 1.12 seconds, which is a respectable figure for cloud-deployed models. This combination of speed and low latency makes it particularly well-suited for interactive experiences where responsiveness is paramount.
In terms of intelligence, Qwen3 1.7B scores 14 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, placing it above the average of 13 for its peer group. This indicates a solid capability in understanding and generating relevant, coherent text, even without explicit reasoning capabilities. While it may not tackle intricate logical puzzles, it handles a broad spectrum of general knowledge, summarization, and creative writing tasks with competence. Its 32,000-token context window further enhances its utility, allowing for the processing of substantial input prompts and generating longer, more detailed outputs when required.
However, the model's pricing structure presents a critical consideration. With an input token price of $0.11 per 1M tokens and an output token price of $0.42 per 1M tokens, Qwen3 1.7B is positioned as quite expensive, especially for its output. The blended price of $0.19 per 1M tokens (based on a 3:1 input-to-output ratio) can be misleading, as real-world applications often have varying token ratios. This cost profile suggests that while the model delivers on performance, its economic viability hinges on careful optimization of token usage, particularly for applications with high output volume.
Overall, Qwen3 1.7B (Non-reasoning) is a high-performance, open-licensed model from Alibaba, offering a compelling balance of speed and intelligence for non-reasoning tasks. Its strengths lie in rapid text generation and handling substantial context, making it ideal for scenarios where quick, accurate, and contextually rich responses are needed. However, prospective users must meticulously evaluate its cost implications, especially concerning output token consumption, to ensure it aligns with their budgetary constraints and project requirements.
14 (#9 / 22 / 1.7B Parameters)
114 tokens/s
$0.11 /M tokens
$0.42 /M tokens
6.7M tokens
1.12 seconds
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Model Family | Qwen3 |
| Parameter Count | 1.7 Billion |
| Variant | Non-reasoning |
| Owner | Alibaba |
| License | Open |
| Context Window | 32,000 tokens |
| Input Modality | Text |
| Output Modality | Text |
| Benchmarked Provider | Alibaba Cloud |
| Intelligence Index Score | 14 (Above Average) |
| Output Speed (Median) | 114 tokens/s |
| Latency (TTFT) | 1.12 seconds |
| Blended Price (3:1) | $0.19 /M tokens |
| Input Token Price | $0.11 /M tokens |
| Output Token Price | $0.42 /M tokens |
Our benchmarks for Qwen3 1.7B (Non-reasoning) were conducted exclusively on Alibaba Cloud, which is the primary and currently only API provider for this model in our analysis. This provides a clear picture of its performance and cost characteristics within its native environment.
When considering Qwen3 1.7B, the choice of provider is straightforward, as Alibaba Cloud is the direct source. However, understanding the nuances of this specific deployment is crucial for optimizing its use.
| Priority | Pick | Why | Tradeoff to accept |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | Alibaba Cloud | Excellent speed and latency, optimized for Qwen3. | Costly for high usage, especially output tokens. |
| Cost-Efficiency | Alibaba Cloud | Direct access to the model, no third-party markups. | High base token prices, particularly for output. |
| Integration | Alibaba Cloud | Seamless integration within the Alibaba Cloud ecosystem. | Limited to Alibaba's infrastructure and services. |
| Support & Reliability | Alibaba Cloud | Direct support from the model's owner. | Reliance on a single cloud provider for all operational aspects. |
Note: This analysis is based on benchmark data from Alibaba Cloud, the sole API provider evaluated for Qwen3 1.7B (Non-reasoning).
Understanding the real-world cost of Qwen3 1.7B (Non-reasoning) requires translating its per-token pricing into practical scenarios. The high output token cost means that applications generating longer responses will incur significantly higher expenses. Below are estimated costs for various common workloads, assuming usage on Alibaba Cloud.
These examples illustrate how the model's pricing structure impacts different types of interactions, highlighting the importance of optimizing both input and output token counts.
| Scenario | Input | Output | What it represents | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scenario | Input | Output | What it represents | Estimated cost |
| Short Q&A | 100 tokens | 50 tokens | Quick factual lookup, simple chatbot response. | $0.000011 (input) + $0.000021 (output) = $0.000032 |
| Content Summarization | 5,000 tokens | 500 tokens | Condensing a medium-length article or document. | $0.00055 (input) + $0.00021 (output) = $0.00076 |
| Email Draft Generation | 200 tokens | 300 tokens | Composing a standard professional email. | $0.000022 (input) + $0.000126 (output) = $0.000148 |
| Chatbot Interaction | 500 tokens | 150 tokens | Multi-turn customer support or interactive dialogue. | $0.000055 (input) + $0.000063 (output) = $0.000118 |
| Data Extraction | 1,000 tokens | 200 tokens | Extracting key information from a structured document. | $0.00011 (input) + $0.000084 (output) = $0.000194 |
| Creative Short Story | 300 tokens | 1,000 tokens | Generating a short narrative based on a prompt. | $0.000033 (input) + $0.00042 (output) = $0.000453 |
These examples clearly demonstrate that while Qwen3 1.7B (Non-reasoning) is fast and capable, its cost structure heavily penalizes long outputs. Applications that can minimize output tokens will find it more economically viable, whereas those requiring extensive generation will quickly accumulate significant costs.
Leveraging Qwen3 1.7B (Non-reasoning) effectively requires a strategic approach to cost management, primarily due to its higher token pricing, especially for output. The following playbook outlines key strategies to maximize its value while keeping expenses in check.
By implementing these practices, developers can harness the model's speed and intelligence without incurring prohibitive costs, ensuring a sustainable and efficient deployment.
Given the $0.11/M input token price, every token in your prompt contributes to the cost. While the 32k context window is generous, it doesn't mean you should fill it unnecessarily. Focus on providing only the essential information needed for the model to generate a high-quality response.
The $0.42/M output token price is the primary cost driver for Qwen3 1.7B. Controlling the length of the model's responses is paramount to managing expenses.
max_tokens parameter in your API calls to prevent overly long generations.While Qwen3 1.7B is fast, batching multiple requests can further improve overall throughput and potentially amortize fixed costs (if any, though less relevant for per-token pricing). This is more about efficiency than direct cost saving per token.
Qwen3 1.7B's strengths lie in speed and above-average intelligence for non-reasoning tasks. It's crucial to deploy it where these attributes provide the most value relative to its cost.
Qwen3 1.7B (Non-reasoning) is a compact, 1.7 billion parameter language model developed by Alibaba. It is designed for efficient and rapid text generation tasks that do not require complex, multi-step logical reasoning, making it suitable for a wide range of practical applications.
The model scores 14 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, placing it above the average of 13 for comparable models. This indicates a strong capability in understanding and generating coherent, relevant text for its class, even without explicit reasoning functions.
Qwen3 1.7B (Non-reasoning) boasts a median output speed of 114 tokens per second, which is significantly faster than the average. Its latency (time to first token) is 1.12 seconds, offering quick initial responses. It also features a substantial 32,000-token context window.
While it offers strong performance, its pricing is on the higher side, particularly for output tokens ($0.42 per 1M tokens) compared to the average. Its input token price is $0.11 per 1M tokens. Cost-effectiveness largely depends on careful token management and use cases that prioritize speed and concise outputs.
Qwen3 1.7B (Non-reasoning) features a generous 32,000-token context window. This allows the model to process and understand lengthy input prompts and maintain context over extended conversations or documents.
The Qwen3 1.7B model is owned by Alibaba. It is released under an open license, providing flexibility for developers and organizations to integrate and utilize it in various applications.
Typical use cases include rapid content generation (e.g., short articles, social media posts), summarization, chatbot responses, data extraction from structured text, and other applications where quick, factual, or creative text outputs are needed without complex reasoning.
At 114 tokens per second, Qwen3 1.7B (Non-reasoning) is notably faster than the average benchmarked speed of 76 tokens per second. This makes it an excellent choice for applications where high throughput and minimal waiting times are critical.